I have spent the past few days searching this topic and I kinda hit a wall of contradictions.

For sure the JBL 2225h and 2235h have the exact same basket, and therefore a 2235h recone kit on a 2225h should make it a 2235h. Some will say the 2255h becomes a 100% exact 2235h. While others will say that the 4" motor is slightly different, and that therefore it will not become a perfect equivalent.

So... What's the last word on the subject? The topic is not about if a 2235h is or ain't a good sub. It's about the recone process.

Yes, if you rebuild a 2225H motor with the 2235H kit you can have a 2235H, end of story. The basket, magnet, clearance and gap are identical. There are several other JBL motors or baskets that are not identical. The only difference is the label on the back of the magnet. You can verify this by doing a search at the Lansing Heritage website, I wouldn't trust any other source on this topic. This all assumes you are buying a genuine JBL recone kit.

You can also build a 2234H with a 2225H motor by buying the 2235H kit and not installing the mass ring under the dust cap. I hope this doesn't confuse things.

This is interesting because I have exactly what you describe - 2235H recone on 2225 baskets. They are the backbone of my old 'bachelor daze' system: big, smooth and solid sounding. They don't require exceptional levels of power and their nice low extension is habit forming...

If the gap and motor (magnet) are indeed 100% the same between the 2225 and the 2235, then a 2235 recone, would make a 2225 a real 2235 functionnally. Except for the rear tag obviously. The reason I am asking is that 2225s area dime a dozen, and real 2235 are pretty rare. I just bought a real 2235h out of a recording studio, that has been treated to a new JBL-sourced suspension. The driver is like new. But I would like to buy at least another. If not three others.

If I were a collector, I would not do a "transplant". But just for sound, then the recone should do the job if the end result of the swap is a perfectly identical 2235.

BTW The mass ring is what gives the 2235 the low Fs (and also lower power handling due to the extra cone excursion).

This is covered to helll on other forums.Yes. FYI im getting custom cones made by the same guy who said my factory recone kits are cr*p.

You are correct. It's been beaten to hell. And as I previously stated, the conclusions were not unanimous. Half of the poled "experts" will say the recone will be excatly like a 2235, 50% will say it is not exactly the same.

And as I am a brake engineer and design components for racecars, I know very well how inaccurate people can be, just reporting hearsay as truth. Believe me on that

Now ever more interesting... I have a 'cone guy' whom I simply trust, and I generally just play his speakers without asking questions...

One can find lots of dubious sources of 'factory' parts. So, are the factory recone parts cr*p because of their age or original design (or both)? ... and how is the difference between the stock and custom parts sonically revealing? And at what SPLs? 2235H was never a super-high output design, IMO.

and how is the difference between the stock and custom parts sonically revealing?

I would bet you the aftermarket kits don't have the mass ring that goes under the cap. If it doesn't there is a very good chance the cones mass will be too low and FS will be too high. They spec them at 20hz and the factory recone kits come in a little lower say 18-19hz on the pair I measured.

Shoud I tune the port length to the driver, or to the enclosure? 20Hz or 26Hz Something tells me 26Hz but I need confirmation.

Actually, I will check if one 4" port is enough, as I could make one port tuned to 20Hz, and the other ports (the baffle has provision for two ports) could be tuned to 26Hz. I could plug one or the other and test what works best.